1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel salts of polyethyleneoxy sulfonates, their method of manufacture and their use as surfactants in high acidity latexes, such as latexes of copolymers of acrylic acid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Surfactant sold under the trademark Triton by Rohm & Haas Co. and Alipal SE-463 by GAF Corp. are alkyl aryl polyether sulfonate, sodium salts. These sulfonates offer many diversified surfactant properties not commonly encountered in a single compound. They out perform comparable sulfates in offering resistance to decomposition under both highly acidic and basic conditions, thus being suitable in metal cleaning applications for either acid pickling baths or alkaline cleaning formulations. Their excellent compatibility with alkaline detergent builders and their excellent emulsifying character with fats, greases, oils and gelatins afford many applications possibilities in lime soap formulation, the film coating industry, as dye leveling agents, post-latex stabilizers and in emulsion polymerization. A major application for this type of surfactant is a shampoo base for the cosmetics industry where it finds wide applicability because of its detergent, lathering and solubilizing properties.
However, it has now been found that in certain applications, as for example the production of high acid level latexes, such as, acrylic and methacrylic acid copolymer latexes containing in excess of 10% acetic acid, coagulation occurs. The problem becomes most acute when life of these latexes renders them unusable in many industrial applications because of the commonly encountered need to store the latex before further processing can be commenced.